Old Book Mail Organizer

This project is a great way to start your new year off right with some resolutions to get organized!

Does your kitchen table, counter, entry table or other horizontal space routinely look like this?

For me it is the kitchen table and I have fought the mail pile for years.  I have tried a big metal box to keep it organized, binders, a mail sorter--none of it seems to work.  And honestly, I am not sure this will either.

But, not one to give up and ever the optimist, I am trying a new system.  If anything, it is certainly cuter than the binders and metal box.

Want to make one too?  Start with a piece of wood--mine is approximately 10"x 22".  I painted it grey.

Then find three great old book covers, ones that are maybe a bit larger.  (And before the bibliophiles bash me--I have probably between 60-75 old books I cannot stand to tear apart and won't!). Measure the width of the books.

I started with adding some scrapbook metal label holders.  I marked where to put them 

and then drilled through the cover 

and secured them with the mini brads provided.

Next, I cut some fabric trapezoids (getting a math lesson too) about an inch longer than the width.  I doubled the fabric so there would be a nice fold on the top edge.

Using hot glue, secure the fabric to one side of the book cover.  

Do not glue the fabric to the binding yet.

Securing the other side can be a bit tricky, but not too bad.  Put the glue on the fabric and then bring the cover up to it.  You have to do it one side at a time--sticking your hand in the book helps.

Then glue the end to the book binding.

Secure the books to the board with screws, screwed in at an angle.

I added my labels--This Week,

This Month,

Sometime.

I will let you know in a few months how this new system is working for me.